Thrust Into His Arms Chapter 57

"Well... I wouldn’t say that."

"Is that a rejection? Why?" He blurts. "I really do like you. I am not a dickhead like my annoying sister said."

"Hey, I never said you were a dickhead! I only ever said you were a dick." Sharpay defensively argues.

"Sa difference!" He yells to her.

"It isn’t because of that Kennedy. You are a nice guy. If I wanted to date you, I would despite what your sister says. I like to experience for myself for most things. The reason I’m rejecting you is because I don’t like to date younger guys." I answer.

"How old are you?"

"Yes, exactly. How old are you?" They all shift their attention to to hear my answer. "It wouldn’t be fun if I just told you guys, so guess." They started taking wild guesses. Placing money bets on whoever gets it right. One said twenty. Sharpay said twenty-two. Kennedy says thirty. He is indeed a dickhead. His sister told him off before I could. None of them gets it. "All of you guessed wrong. I am twenty-six."

Sharpay gasps. "Twenty-six? I never could have guessed right. You look so young!" They are all wasted. So I cannot take that as a true complint. "You are not that older than . We are just five years apart." Kennedy says.

"Wait. So you’re in college?"

"Not yet. Still in senior year." He responds in a lancholic tone.

"Why is that?"

Sharpay takes the liberty of explaining to why. "He got into a lot of fights and trouble at school. Instead of him to be outrightly expelled, he was made to repeat grades twice. Our Dad agreed to it."

"Dad and principal Jodie are both assholes. I have never hated them so much for that untill this mont." Kennedy fus.

"I do agree with you that they are. But we can’t rule out that what you did was also wrong and deserving of the punishnt."

This made so curious to know what he did. I wish I hadn’t. "There was this schoolmate of ours he used to bully because she rejected him."

He warns his sisters. "Stop it Sharpay. You all know as well as I that what I did do not count as bullying. All I ever wanted was for her to see —at least. But she rejected every single ti and even had the cold nerve to say it to my face that she would never like !"

"You can only asure it by your standards. Which to you, isn’t hurtful. But she wouldn’t have attempted suicide if it didn’t hurt her."

"She attempted suicide?" My brain quickly picked that out. "Yes. She jumped off a cliff on our school trip two days after her request to transfer schools was declined. She was in a coma for two months. Could not rember anything for a while when she woke up."

"Oh my god." I softly exclaim. Hearing that made revisit my past self. Seventeen years old on a rooftop. Gazing down at the buildings and trees and people that were seemingly so small from that height. I had picked the highest point at my school to jump off from because I did not want any trial and error. I even wrote a suicide note of over a thousand words consistently naming one person as the reason for what I would then do. I felt like I should at least leave behind an explanation for everyone who thought what I was facing wasn’t so bad. Everything was ready.

All that was left was for to jump off—which I just could not gather courage enough for before I was held.

I wanted my life to successfully end right there. Death seed like the only way out of what I was facing then. I was extrely angry at the people who ca to prevent from jumping off. If I succeeded in jumping off, I wouldn’t be alive. I wouldn’t be here right now—I wouldn’t have t Annie. I wouldn’t have been having fun in this place.

"You cannot say it wasn’t bad when it resulted in her wanting to take her life." I scold. "If it is too fun to torture soone, then torture yourself or try and imagine if it was you or soone you cared about being bullied like that."

"Yeah I have done that. It wasn’t that terrible. She just had a weak ntality." He retorts. "Are you her sister or sothing? Why are you taking her side?" That blew the lid off my irritability. I could totally relate. Back then, the reason for my suicide attempt did not even care to apologize. He said I was overreacting and make it sound like i was deeply at fault.

"I am taking her side because I have been there. It is easy for assholes like you to hurt others all because of your over-inflated ego. But look here, everything that goes around cos around.

So play it sidelined and cool like this when your future kids face the sa thing!" I said angrily and walked away from the bar. Sharpay and the other girls follow after . "That was so cool. No one in our family can talk sense into him like that."

"Yeah. Looking at his expression, you would know it totally landed."

"Yeah exactly! Girl you put the bull’s in bull’s-eye." Another girl nad Praveena adds tipsily. Why did they even follow ?

It soon hit that this is a club. And that I had walked away from the bar on traumatic impulse without having sowhere in mind. The dance floor was there. Full on party rock the. "Shit! We haven’t hit the dance floor. Co let’s go!"

"Wait for , or go ahead. I would be right back." I tell them. I return to the bar to tell Sam about wanting to hit the dance floor. U notice Kennedy and his guy friends were no longer there. Sam did not quite agree at first, saying there are a lot of sleazeball n who would co at . "I’m a grown woman. I can handle myself." I protest. "Maybe. But I am not taking any chances. Not with you again." He signals over a huge bouncer. "Stick close to her. Do not let her leave your sight. Get soone to replace you if you’re pressed. Don’t leave her alone." He sternly instructs. "Yes sir." Replied the bouncer sharply.

I watched stunned. This did not sit well with . "Switching babysitters? I just told you I can handle myself. Stop acting like you are my Dad."

"Then stay right here where I can keep an eye on you. No need to go dance. If you must, Tony would accompany you. It’s the best safety precaution. Take it or leave it."

"Fine." I gruff and make my way back to the girls. Just then Nadia Ali’s Rapture ca on. It is impossible for to not move my body when I hear this song. I danced with all my energy like never before. I couldn’t stop because the DJ knowing his job kept putting on jams upon jams. I later saw myself on the stage-like podium with people cheering below. I had no clear idea how I got there. Oh, but it is fine. Who cares? I am feeling like a celebrity! Nothing else matters except right now.

But suddenly, soone cos and lifts off the ground, throwing over his shoulder. "Stop! Who are you! Let go!"

"Stay still. Or I will spank you." Ca his gruff response in an oddly familiar voice.